So this seemed like the best place to put this as I turn to my fellow crafty gals and guys for some help.

I can make a pattern, but it is nowhere near professional. I can adapt a pattern, but I can't grade patterns. I am lost.

I contemplated going to a professional company so I could produce some of my designs, but was awoken by the crazy numbers I was being quoted. I realize fashion isn't cheap, but there has got to be something that I can do/or hire someone to do.

Does anyone have any tips about making patterns, grading and marking that I can do on my own. I need patterns where If I hire a seamstress she won't have any questions. My patterns make sense to me and probably only me.

I would hire someone if it was affordable, but my inner diy vixen wants to do this on my own.

Thank you all for your help in advance. I am so frustrated right now, I can't even type. grrr.

Hello Crafty gals and guys!

I wanted to let you know of a great opportunity to volunteer at the Oak Park Children’s Museum, Wonder Works.
On March 24 you can come on down to the Oak Park Ben and Jerry's for free cone day as the staff serves you some delicious treats for donations. At this event you can sign up to volunteer and receive information about all the great activities that happen at Wonder Works.
If you are unable to come out in March, on April 5 the museum will be hosting a volunteer fair with free food from Chipotle at 7pm.
Volunteer Opportunities include...
Craft Making
Story Telling
Party Planning
Event Management
Painting
Selling Tickets

It is that time of year again when I need to start making my bowling teams uniforms and this year I really REALLY want to make a mens shirt with a real collar and not just sewn down triangles(lol). Does anyone have any tips to make a collar stay put and pop up nicely?
Thank you craftsters!

Hello my fellow craftinista's! I have been on the lookout for a company/person that does affordable custom textile designs. I have used spoonflower, which is great, but WAY too expensive. It is very kitshy and the instant sampler function is great, but for a person looking to purchase at least 50 yards of fabric at a time it is just way too expensive at over $16 a yard for the cheapest fabric.
Any help would be wonderful!

Stay crafty,
Xza

So I think this may be under the wrong category, but here is how the story goes... Over the summer I purchased a 300 piece lot of what was supposed to be vintage clothing. It turned out to be bad 90s dresses ranging from denim full length to floral and tribal print all over pieces. The clothing is 90% NWT, but I quite honestly don't know what to do with all of this clothing that I can't sell.

If you love reconstruction and live near Chicago(and can pick all of it up) YOU can have it! I am donating it to Purple Heart if no one wants it, but it is a great lot for someone who has the time and passion for reconstruction. You have to promise you will show all of us your great projects though. PM or comment if you are interested or if you know where this should go.

Sizes range from 4 to 14

First off, I have to say making four uniforms for people can be a pain in the butt. I had a ball making them. I am the one in the pink leopard one, and I was lucky enough to sew it to fit me perfectly. I wish I could have custom fit the other two girls, but I think they looked hot none the less and of course Ray, he looked smokin!






And just in case you wanted to know how we did....well, I bowled a 54 which would be the unofficial women's low score and then I bowled a 102 which was our team high score. Turns out, we are better at looking cute then we are at bowling.
Thank you for looking!

Well, when we got engaged I knew that I wanted to do everything ourselves. Although, the end result was not 100% handmade we made sure that anything we had to rent, buy, or services we used were from vendors that had the same DIY ethic as us. Everything from the programs to the candy bar to the flowers were handmade by me. A fun fact about our wedding is that everyone accept the bride has tattoo's.

Although I was going to make my dress I decided that I was going to purchase my dress through Bride's Against Breast Cancer. They are an amazing organization that sells new and used wedding dresses with all the proceeds going to those in need. I ended up getting my dream gown and made some significant changes. I don't have the original picture, but I changed the skirt entirely. I wanted the lace to peak out in a slit, and I wanted to take off the flowers that were attached to it. I also added the bazillion little buttons down the back of my dress and 5 foot train. The end result was this...




My "something old" was the crystal necklace I wore which belonged to my great great great grandmother, yes three greats! I made my veil, which was far easier then I thought it would be.


My super handsome groom!




Ceremony, I was given away by my husbands father(as mine is no longer in my life. My best friend and maid of honors hubsand Bruce (former member of Men Without Hats) played Somewhere Over The Rainbow on the ukulele while I walked down the aisle. Later we were introduced at Mr and Mrs to Me First and The Gimme Gimme's version.


Dancing


Kissing and a great view of all the button work


And these were my bridesmaids!


Did someone say cake? It was red velvet and carrot cake and Zebra print!


Close up of lego cake topper


The Programs...


The Band







Tables, Flowers, Centerpieces, Chinese Takeout Boxes, etc. The centerpieces had beta fish in them We weren't originally going to have a seating chart, because we like being interactive with eveyrone, but when our guest list doubled we didn't want our guests(especially the older ones) to be confused. So instead of table numbers we had street signs. Each table was named after Chicago streets.


This bucket was originally filled with flip flops and somehow my veil ended up in there by the end of the night.


Hair


Best picture of my second dress

Just for fun...

She got the bouquet and ate it too.

Matron of Honor sang Teenage Kicks

Yes, one of my bridesmaids did fall in the water feature.

The newly wed's...oh and I did have a second dress. 

Thank you for looking! There were so many rad things about our wedding that didn't get photographed and it saddens me, but I hope you enjoyed looking at our wedding day, and I can only hope that you make your wedding as unique as you are. I loved the way my wedding turned out, and most people still can't believe that we did everything ourselves. I hope our wedding is inspirational for those who will be getting married in the future. Stay true to who you are. For us is it was about are love of punk rock, glamour, fun and zebra print.

-Xza

I just got a puppy, her name is Wrigley and she is 3.5 lbs of fury! Well, actually she sleeps most of the day, but loves walks and going into winter she has been getting really cold. Her vet reccomended putting a coat on her, so....I went out bought her a puppy wardrobe. Now I know some people may think its silly to dress your dog, but i do it so she stays warm. ANYWAYS, if anyone is interested in making handmade puppy clothes I would love to do a swap. I have made my puppy a couple outfits so far and she loves them, if anyone else is interested...let me know!

My friend Kati had a baby in November and I just had to make her little baby a quilt. He loves and so does she, yay! Enjoy.
He was born with a serious heart defect and is Irish to the bone so the hearts put together to become a four leaf clover have some significance. The hearts are all stitched with the 'heart' function on my sewing machine.
Some of the fabrics featured are football plays, music notes and paw prints. The back is made out of super soft and fuzzy zebra print.

I feel like a spaz for not taking pictures of the official finished product with the black binding and all, but I'm sure you'll get a good idea from these pictures...
http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/9518/img2123zw6.jpg
Little Seamus on the back of the quilt!